Will Smith is being sued by America’s Got Talent top-three finalist, Brian King Joseph on claims of sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
Joseph, a violinist, played on the movie star’s Based on a True Story: 2025 tour, where alleges that his involvement in Smith’s global tour exposed him to inappropriate conduct and ultimately resulted in his dismissal after he reported a disturbing incident while on the road.
In a court documents, obtained by DailyMail, Joseph says that during a Las Vegas stop in March 2025, he returned to his hotel room at 11pm and found that it had been “unlawfully entered” by an “unknown person” who left a handwritten note that read: ‘Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30 just us,’ with a heart and the sign-off: ‘Stone F.’
The plaintiff alleged the note was accompanied by ‘wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork belonging to a person unbeknownst to’ him.
Joseph reported the situation to hotel staff, contacted a local non-emergency police line and informed members of Smith’s management team, according to the complaint. Rather than receiving support, Joseph alleges he was later confronted by tour management and informed that his services were no longer needed.
The suit also claims that due to being fired, Joseph suffered from PTSD and economic loss. He is suing for retaliation, wrongful termination and sexual harassment, and asking that damages be determined by a jury.
Joseph’s counsel adds in the lawsuit that the “facts suggest” Smith was “deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation.”
Smith and Joseph met in November 2024, a move he believed represented a major step forward in his career. Joseph claims they “began spending additional time alone” after meeting and prior to the tour kicking off. Joseph alleges that Smith at one point commented, “You and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else.”
Smith’s attorney Allen B. Grodsky has denied these allegations in a statement to Daily Mail which read: “Mr. Joseph’s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless, and reckless.”
Smith has not addressed the lawsuit publicly beyond that response.